Monkeys recommend:

1. Searching for Bobby Fischer This is a terrific movie, and great for kids (about 10 and up) and adults to watch together. There is no bad language and nothing bad happens, but younger kids may have trouble staying interested in a movie about chess. Dean, who finished a triumphant week at chess camp, needed to be encouraged through the first quarter of the movie which is all set-up, but once the chess tournaments began he was hooked.

2. Chess Camp. The program is put on by a national organization that runs camps all over the U.S. during the summer. Absolutely every claim they make on their Web site is true, or at least it was for Dean. He loved it and is looking forward to doing it again next year.

3. Socks and underwear. Well, really Hanes online. You go there, you register first, then they give you a "coupon" -- seems pretty consistently to be for 20% off all underwear. Seeing as we're gearing up for back-to-school, socks and underwear have been very much on our minds. Well, on my mind. So I saved a bundle and Dean loves everything we ordered.

4. Strike Up the Band If you've got a High School Musical fan at your house, you may want to show him or her the original. While I'm living with the knowledge that Dean has serious gaps in his religious training, I can't imagine raising him without Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, or Busby Berkeley for that matter.

5. Time off. I was supposed to be on vacation last week, but ended up working so much that it wasn't any vacation at all. Next coupla three weeks are going to be different. On vacation. We're hanging out, doing some fun stuff, gettin' ready for school, and not answering the phone.